The tour in Australia has begun, and we’re looking forward to seeing you guys at the LP Underground Summit in Sydney. This summit will be a one-day event, immediately before the show on Dec 15th. Due to high demand and limited group size, passes are already gone.

For our fans in the US, keep your eyes out for new tour dates and tickets coming out (San Diego, Denver, and Phoenix). All info is at http://www.linkinpark.com/tickets/ …and don’t forget, those tickets have lower prices than retail, AND come with an audio download of that night’s show.

I’m about to leave for Australia; very excited to see you guys this week. In the past few months, we’ve gotten some glowing reviews of the show (The Guardian, Burton Mail, Jerusalem Post, WitsAndNuts, and more)…and we’re thrilled to be bringing that show to our fans down under, where A THOUSAND SUNS has already gone platinum (thanks)! I’m hoping to play some great shows AND get some of my holiday shopping done (unfortunately, I think I’ve already bought enough boomerangs and kangaroo pouches for whoever might want them at home, so I’ll have to come up with better gifts for this year).

Speaking of gifts, our upcoming U.S. concert dates are posted here on LinkinPark.com–just in time for your holiday shopping. (Linkin Park concert tickets make a much better present than that stupid gift card you were going to get, FYI).

Thanks again to all the great folks who are a part of our live show, both behind the scenes and in the crowd. We appreciate you guys, and were honored to be given the award tonight for “Best Live Act.”

Besides the performance of “Waiting For The End,” which was aired on the show, we played a 60 minute set for the crowd in front of the Puerta De Alcalá tonight. That show will be premiering on MTV in the coming weeks.

This year, Linkin Park’s fan organization, The LP Underground, celebrates it’s 10th birthday. With that being the case, we’re working harder than ever to make the LPU more than just a “fan club.”

LPU is one of the most special and exciting ways to connect with the band. It’s not about being “the world’s biggest superfan.” You’ll find them there, but most people belong to LP Underground because they want to go behind the music and the concerts, make friends, and have fun.

On November 10-11th, 2010 in London, England, we will be holding our biggest, most ambitious fan event in the history of the organization, and we’re calling on our fans all over Europe (and all over the world) to come be a part of the celebration. We’ve called it The LP Underground Summit. It’s an exclusive event where you’ll meet the band, connect with fellow LPU members, and have chances to be a part of one-of-a-kind experiences like meeting the touring crew, taking a backstage tour led by the band, or playing our actual on-stage instruments.

The event runs over the course of two days, leading up to our performance at the O2 Arena on November 11. You’re in charge of arranging your own transportation and accommodations, so you’re welcome to plan your trip however you want. Come early, stay late, or just show up for the day of the concert.

ALL current members (LPU9 and LPUX, everywhere in the world) are invited. Annual LPU members get in FREE. If you’re not a member yet, join now to get access to The Summit.

Since the event is in London, we’ve already got a lot of interest from fans in the UK…so we’re counting on you guys from other countries to make the trip. Germany, France, Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Austria, Denmark, Switzerland, Poland, Czech Rep., and LP fans everywhere: come to The Summit and represent!

The other day I got a chance to record a station for IHeartRadio. It’s an online station where we (Chester and I) get to play whatever we want; we host the show ourselves. The best part was that I got really tired of just hearing myself talk, so I started messing around, calling people and bothering them, and even playing some rare Linkin Park tracks (and I think one Fort Minor one). It’s going to go up some time in October. (I asked some of you to send questions and stories via Twitter; thanks for your help making the show interesting.)

In the days between then and now, I’ve been rehearsing with those other five guys to put a show together. We leave for tour in four days. We’re hitting a few places in South America, A bunch of dates in Europe, and a bunch of dates in Australia (What’s up PERTH and ADELAIDE). Ready for a little bit of this: